Think your reputation has been harmed or your privacy invaded? Think your reputation and privacy are worth a lot? Get your ego in check and think about whether it might be better to have a small claims court in which you can sue. Paul McNally reports:

Bringing a case for libel or breach of privacy against the media should be made as straightforward as chasing debts at a small claims court, a Labour MP has proposed.

Chris Bryant, who last month accepted an out-of-court settlement from News International over phone-hacking, told parliament that the cost of pursuing legal action in the high court was too expensive, compared to the level of damages awarded.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said Bryant’s proposal for a “small claims court”, offering easier access to privacy and libel trials, “may have some merit” and would be examined by the government.